Legislation

State House supermajority voted themselves a pay raise – but veto killed it

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Flyer published by Rep. Stephanie Jerome, trying to explain controversial votes she cast

By Guy Page

In an attempt to deflect voter criticism from her Yes vote to double her own pay and add significant new benefits, a Rutland County Democrat House member facing an election challenge has characterized as a ‘false and misleading claim’ that she ‘increased her salary.’

Brandon Rep. Stephanie Jerome’s statements can be seen on a flyer she published, and VDC republished yesterday, and above. So, what’s the truth here?

Rep. Jerome states that ‘my legislative salary has not increased.’ This is factually true, but not for Rep. Jerome’s lack of trying. She and a supermajority of other House members voted May 10, 2023 (see roll call) to effectively double their salaries by 2027 and give themselves a bevy of other attractive financial perks. 

Then Gov. Scott vetoed S.39 on May 31, 2023 saying, “it does not seem fair for legislators to insulate themselves from the very costs they are imposing on their constituents by doubling their own future pay.” The Senate balked at an override and the bill died. 

But had an override succeeded, S.39 would have gradually increased their salary from the current pay – about $800 a week while in session – to $1210 a week in session. 

But that’s not all. 

It continued the current practice of generous mileage, meals and lodging reimbursement and added….

  • The same health care insurance enjoyed by state employees. 
  • Non-session ‘adjournment compensation’ equal to one-fifth of session salary for every week not in session’ about $200/week.
  • Childcare/eldercare reimbursement “equal to the actual amounts expended by the member for child care, dependent care, or elder care services in this State that is necessary to facilitate the member’s service in the General Assembly,” not to exceed federal guidelines.

VDC estimated at the time that the total package was worth an estimated $52K. Lawmakers are required to sit in session four days a week for about 18 weeks. Most perform legislative duties outside those days, but it’s not required. 

The following is a list of every House and Senate member who voted Yes on S.39:

HOUSE

Birong of Vergennes  

Bluemle of Burlington  

Boyden of Cambridge  

Brown of Richmond  

Chase of Chester  

Chesnut-Tangerman of Middletown Springs  

Goldman of Rockingham  

Notte of Rutland City  

Pouech of Hinesburg

Rachelson of Burlington  

Stone of Burlington  

Whitman of Bennington  

Williams of Barre City  

Andriano of Orwell  

Anthony of Barre City  

Arrison of Weathersfield  

Arsenault of Williston  

Austin of Colchester  

Bartholomew of Hartland  

Berbeco of Winooski  

Black of Essex  

Bongartz of Manchester  

Bos-Lun of Westminster  

Brady of Williston  

Brumsted of Shelburne  

Burke of Brattleboro  

Burrows of West Windsor  

Buss of Woodstock  

Campbell of St. Johnsbury  

Carpenter of Hyde Park  

Carroll of Bennington  

Casey of Montpelier  

Chapin of East Montpelier  

Chase of Colchester  

Christie of Hartford  

Cina of Burlington  

Coffey of Guilford  

Cole of Hartford  

Conlon of Cornwall  

Cordes of Lincoln  

Dodge of Essex  

Dolan of Essex Junction  

Dolan of Waitsfield  

Durfee of Shaftsbury  

Elder of Starksboro  

Emmons of Springfield  

Farlice-Rubio of Barnet  

Garofano of Essex  

Graning of Jericho  

Headrick of Burlington  

Holcombe of Norwich  

Hooper of Burlington  

Houghton of Essex Junction  

Howard of Rutland City  

Hyman of South Burlington  

James of Manchester  

Jerome of Brandon  

Kornheiser of Brattleboro  

Krasnow of South Burlington  

LaBounty of Lyndon  

Lalley of Shelburne  

LaLonde of South Burlington  

LaMont of Morristown  

Lanpher of Vergennes  

Logan of Burlington  

Long of Newfane  

Masland of Thetford  

McCann of Montpelier  

McCarthy of St. Albans City  

McGill of Bridport  

Mihaly of Calais  

Minier of South Burlington  

Morris of Springfield  

Mrowicki of Putney  

Mulvaney-Stanak of Burlington  

Nicoll of Ludlow  

Noyes of Wolcott  

Nugent of South Burlington  

O’Brien of Tunbridge  

Ode of Burlington  

Pajala of Londonderry  

Patt of Worcester  

Priestley of Bradford  

Rice of Dorset  

Satcowitz of Randolph  

Scheu of Middlebury  

Sheldon of Middlebury  

Sibilia of Dover  

Sims of Craftsbury  

Small of Winooski  

Squirrell of Underhill  

Stebbins of Burlington  

Stevens of Waterbury  

Surprenant of Barnard  

Taylor of Colchester  

Templeman of Brownington  

Toleno of Brattleboro  

Torre of Moretown  

Troiano of Stannard  

Waters Evans of Charlotte  

White of Bethel  

Wood of Waterbury  

SENATE

Baruth of Chittenden-Central      

Bray of Addison      

Brock of Franklin      

Clarkson of Windsor      

Cummings of Washington      

Gulick of Chittenden-Central      

Hardy of Addison      

Harrison of Windham      

Hashim of Windham      

Lyons of Chittenden-Southeast      

MacDonald of Orange      

McCormack of Windsor      

Norris of Franklin      

Perchlik of Washington      

Vyhovsky of Chittenden-Central      

Watson of Washington      

Westman of Lamoille      

White of Windsor      

Wrenner of Chittenden-North      

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Categories: Legislation, Roll Call!

12 replies »

  2. I’ve spoken to a lot of people over the years about running rarely have I ever hear about the pay, it was always about the time commitment, and how long the session last. If those sessions got shortened to three months, a lot more people would run and would be able to serve.

    • Thank you Mr. LaClair!!! Now there’s the vision folks…let’s give this some legs.

  3. They also rhought their positions should be full time . Can you even imagine the damage these disingenuous grifters could do if they were under the the Golden Dome 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year ? We can not afford them now when they are only there 4 days a week for 5 months a year !

  4. When I working in my career, my paid ” increases ” were for performance, which meant anything above my job description, things as lowering the cost of products or production costs.

    So Vermont’s so-called ” Super Majority ” think that with their dismal track record on things like state debt, high taxes, and just downright frivolous spending they deserve more compensation, this would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic, in the real world with their track record they would have been fired for incompetence !!

    Wake up Vermont we have a ” Stupid Majority ” and need to be fired, vote these
    arrogant clowns out, a ” pay Increase ” for failure………………..what nerve

    Don’t forget ” Taxpayers ” it’s your money they waste, and they want more !!

  5. The last thing we need is these misanthropic miscreants becoming “professional” legislators. They should not be paid extra for screwing up everything they touch.

  6. Anne Cummings and the rest of you Washington County legislators ought to be ashamed of yourselves…self-serving and self-enriching leeches…

  7. Two wolves (the predators), one lamb (the prey). Lunch is served. It’s that simple.

    Either the lambs figure out how to defend themselves, or else.